NEW DELHI: Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has reportedly increased its annual espionage budget targeting India from Rs 800-900 crore to Rs 1,300 crore following Operation Sindoor, according to intelligence officials. The increased funding is aimed at building a Human Intelligence (HUMINT) network within the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force by recruiting personnel to share sensitive information. Officials said high-value targets are now being offered Rs 15 lakh to Rs 25 lakh, up from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh before Operation Sindoor.
Recent espionage investigations in Visakhapatnam have led to the arrest of 18 people, including 13 Indian Navy personnel, for allegedly sharing sensitive information about the Visakhapatnam Naval Dockyard with Pakistani intelligence operatives.
Officials said the current recruitment efforts are more intensive than those exposed in previous espionage cases, including Operation Dolphin Nose in December 2019, which targeted a Pakistan-linked honey-trap network operating across naval commands in Visakhapatnam, Mumbai and Karwar.
The ISI has also reportedly allocated funds for logistics, SIM card networks, surveillance equipment and digital propaganda. Officials allege that Pakistan is increasingly relying on illicit activities, including narcotics and arms smuggling and counterfeiting, to finance espionage operations in India.
According to intelligence officials, the objective is to establish a long-term network that would provide continuous access to sensitive information on the operational capabilities of the Indian Navy and Air Force. (IANS)
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